


An Unexpected Curveball

by BSBLover2538



Category: Backstreet Boys
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Babies, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:09:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24320347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BSBLover2538/pseuds/BSBLover2538
Summary: Baylee and Allie were expecting their first child. At the birth, something comes to light, that neither parent ever thought would happen.
Relationships: Baylee Littrell/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	An Unexpected Curveball

“Are we ready to see baby Littrell?” the doctor looked at Baylee and his wife, who both nodded eagerly. The two were in the operating room, Allie a little drowsy from the spinal, but eager to meet their child. She winced as they pulled a bit roughly to get into her uterus, and squeezed Baylee’s hand. 

“Ready to meet our little girl?” she whispered, and Baylee smirked. 

“You mean our son?” Allie rolled her eyes. The two didn’t know what they were having, and Allie thought it was a girl, while Baylee was thinking boy. It was a friendly guess, they were just hoping for a healthy child. 

“Here we go” the doctor reached in, and pulled the baby out. She went quiet at the first look, and softly announced that it was a girl. Baylee and Allie’s hearts went to their throat at the soft tone of their doctor. 

“Doc?” Baylee asked fearfully, and Allie trembled a bit, still holding onto Baylee’s hand. 

“One second” she hastily cut the cord, and passed the baby to the nurse. She brought the baby to the warmer, and Allie and Baylee were scared shitless. Allie’s friends had all told her that typically the baby was shown to them before going off to the warmer. 

The nurse brought the baby over, a little oxygen going into their daughter. Baylee and Allie both saw at first glance what their doctor had seen. The baby girl had all the tell tale signs of Down Syndrome. The almond shaped eyes, the flat nose, short neck, and the deep crease in her palms. 

“Can I hold her?” Baylee asked, swallowing his tears. Allie watched as the nurse transferred her daughter over to her husband's arms, adjusting the oxygen tube. Allie looked up at the nurse. 

“Her oxygen is just a tad low, this is just until she starts breathing a bit better. We think a very small amount of fluid got into her lungs” the nurse explained, and Baylee nodded, his finger tracing his daughter’s small head. 

“We have a baby girl” he said hoarsely, and Allie nodded, Baylee leaning their daughter over, so she could nuzzle her a bit. They never expected her to possibly have Down Syndrome, but in Baylee’s eyes, that didn’t matter. She was going to be whoever she was meant to be, and he and Allie will love and do whatever was needed to care for her. 

“What do you want to name her?” Allie asked, and Baylee bit his lip. They had had a name in mind, but now it didn’t fit her. He thought for a moment, and whispered in her ear. Allie brightened up, and nodded eagerly. 

“That’s perfect. Baby girl, can’t wait to show you off to the family” she whispered, kissing her daughter’s head. 

Baylee held their daughter while Allie was stitched up, wondering how the family would react. He knew that they were all in the waiting room. A doctor came over as Allie was being wheeled out. 

“Can I take your daughter for more tests? Just to see if we can take her off oxygen, and do the normal baby tests?” he asked, and Baylee handed her over, going with him. Allie went off to recovery, hoping and praying her husband and daughter would be back with her soon. 

An hour later, Baylee returned with their daughter in a bassinette. Allie had been moved to her postpartum room, and Baylee looked at his wife. The oxygen was gone, and their daughter had been given the all clear by the doctors. 

“Most DS babies struggle to breastfeed, do you still want to try?” Baylee had gotten a crash course in Down Syndrome from the doctor while their daughter was having her tests. 

“Our daughter is not a DS baby, she is a baby who happens to have Down Syndrome. Her karyotype doesn’t define her” Allie glared at Baylee, who nodded rapidly. 

“I completely agree love, I’m sorry” Baylee knew that his wife’s hormones were raging, and she would be emotional at the drop of a dime. 

“I want to try. Let me have her” Allie dropped her hospital gown, and guided her daughter to her breast. The baby could smell the milk, and tried to root around for the breast. A couple of minutes later, she latched, but Allie could tell it was weak. 

“Get the nurse please” Baylee ran out and grabbed a nurse. Fifteen minutes later, Allie realized that their daughter wouldn’t be able to latch properly, and she didn’t have the strength to suck. 

“Would you like to try a bottle?” the nurse suggested, and Allie nodded her head in defeat. She had wanted to breastfeed so badly, but it wasn’t what worked for her child, and that hurt. 

Allie took the bottle, and her daughter latched onto it. It was a faster flow nipple, so the baby girl didn’t have to work as hard. Baylee watched as his daughter ate for the first time. It was now two hours since their daughter had been born, and Baylee knew he couldn’t hold his parents and Allie’s back much longer. 

“Allie, can I go talk to the family? Will you be okay with her?” he asked, and Allie nodded. The bottle was empty, and Allie had managed to get a burp from their daughter. Now she was falling asleep, and Allie held her tight to her. 

“Yes, please bring your parents and mine back. The rest can wait” Allie knew how big her husband’s family was, but she didn’t need all of them in her room right now. Baylee nodded and left the room. 

“It’s a girl” he announced a minute later as he stepped into the room. Everyone could tell that something was off, despite Baylee smiling. Brian, Leighanne, Patrick, and Sarah enveloped their son and son in law. 

“Come with me guys, you can meet her” Baylee turned, and the four parents followed, an uneasiness in the air. Baylee was worried about the reactions to his daughter. He opened the door, and went right to Allie, scooping his daughter into his arms, making sure that the parents couldn’t see the baby.

“Meet Gabriella Evelyn Littrell” Baylee introduced, turning around. The four parents gasped softly, and Leighanne looked at her son. Baylee slipped the baby into her arms, and Brian wrapped his arms around his wife, looking down at his granddaughter. Patrick and Sarah checked on their daughter, before coming to look at the baby. 

“Baylee…” Sarah was a teacher for students with disabilities, and she knew immediately. She looked up at Baylee, who nodded. 

“We are waiting for official results, but yes. Our daughter has Down Syndrome” Baylee looked at his parents, and Brian and Leighanne’s eyes widened in surprise. They had brushed off the signs at first glance, but now they could see it in their granddaughter. Leighanne passed Gabi over to Sarah, and pulled her son into her arms. 

“Are you okay Allie?” Brian asked, looking over at his daughter in law. 

“Sore, but I’m okay. Worried about her. This was a shock I wasn’t expecting” Allie softly spoke, as Sarah passed Gabi over to Patrick, and went back to her daughter. 

“I know, but she will be okay. Few more things we have to look for, but she should be alright” Sarah comforted her daughter, and Allie nodded softly. 

“Can I have her back please?” Patrick put Gabi carefully into Allie’s arms, adjusting the little cap on her head. 

“Mom, Dad, can you get the cousins please? Patrick and Sarah, can you grab us some food? We are starving and this hospital food sucks” Baylee looked at the four, and they all nodded. 

Allie and Baylee gave their order to Patrick and Sarah, while Brian and Leighanne went back out into the waiting room. After quickly changing Gabi’s diaper, Kevin and Kristin walked into their cousin’s hospital room. They were the only ones other than Brian and Leighanne to come. Nick, AJ, and Howie and their families were still home. 

“Oh! She’s adorable!” Kristin cooed, and Kevin hugged Baylee, kissing Allie’s cheek as Kristin held the baby girl. 

“Got something to tell you. She has Down Syndrome” Allie looked up, and Kevin and Kristin froze, before smiling. 

“Doesn’t matter. She could have 12 toes, half a heart, no arms, and we would still love her. She’s who she’s meant to be” Kevin took Gabi from Kris, and held her close, snuggling her. Baylee and Allie wiped away tears at how well their family was taking this. 

Baylee and Allie waited until her parents came back with food, before chowing down, and Baylee fed his daughter for the first time. The eight adults talked, before Allie yawned, Baylee not far behind. 

“Alright, we’ll go. Want us to come back tomorrow?” Patrick looked at his daughter and son in law. They looked four steps beyond exhausted. 

“Sure. We are gonna Facetime with the rest of Bay’s family at some point, introduce Gabi. Docs are saying I’ll be out of here the day after tomorrow” Allie yawned again. The six adults hastily made their exit, and Baylee pulled Gabi onto his chest, laying next to his wife in her hospital bed. 

“She’s gonna have your curls, maybe my color eyes. I can’t wait to watch her grow” Allie kissed her daughter’s forehead, and Baylee rubbed her tiny back. 

The new parents spent the next two days in the hospital, Allie recovering from the surgery, and getting the final confirmation that Gabrielle had DS. Baylee introduced her to the rest of his family, and they all cooed over her, taking her diagnosis in stride. Holden was a Special Education teacher as well, and knew what his cousins were facing, education wise that is. 

“Fight for her, and what she needs. You will know her abilities better than any teacher or social worker. Make sure she’s in an environment she will thrive in, whatever that is” Holden advised, and Baylee and Allie knew that they would do whatever it took. They also knew their daughter was only 2 days old, and they had a couple of years before taking on the school system. 

Baylee took his wife and daughter home, and they settled into a new family of three. The outlook for Gabrielle was bright, and Baylee couldn’t wait to show his daughter the world. He and Allie would teach their daughter that her DS was not a disability, and she could do anything she put her mind to. 

As Baylee rocked Gabi in the rocking chair, he smiled softly seeing the moonlight cascading over his daughter. He knew they had been sent a curveball, but he also knew God didn’t make mistakes, and He sent his daughter to him for a reason. Baylee looked out the window, hoping that he would be the father Gabi needed, the kind of father Brian was for him. A start twinkled, and Baylee nodded. Gabi would get the world, and make her mark, just as he, Allie, his parents, and her parents did. 


End file.
